Marine megafauna sightings during a summer circumnavigation of Cuba

Marine megafauna in Cuba have been relatively understudied and have received less management attention compared to other marine ecosystem components like fish and corals. This is due to various factors, including the dispersed distribution of these species, their low overall abundance (likely a result of multiscale anthropogenic threats), and the high cost of effective survey techniques, all of which have limited the availability of reliable and representative data. In this study, we present the findings of the first nationwide at-sea study of marine megafauna in Cuba. The survey covered 2190 NM, with 1233 hrs of observation over 45 d from July to September 2023. We documented boat-based sightings of cetaceans, manatees, and marine turtles across six zones, and for each sighting, we recorded the species or species group, the number of individuals, the coordinates, and the sea state. We made a total of 24 sightings, comprising 85 individuals. Delphinids accounted for the majority of sightings (66%) and individual numbers (88%), followed by manatees (12% of sightings, 6% of individuals) and marine turtles (21% of sightings, 6% of individuals). We observed the highest number of cetacean sightings and individuals off northcentral Cuba, with the highest concentration at Ensenada (inlet) de Cayo Francés. Additionally, we record the first sightings of Atlantic bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ) and spotted dolphin ( Stenella spp.) in four of the six zones. Our results provide a baseline on marine megafauna distributions in Cuba that can aid future research and management.